MAYWEATHER MAIL: THE BEST WAY TO PROVE THEM WRONG

FightHype's exclusive Mayweather After Dark series sparked a ton of reaction, both good and bad, from fans and media alike. From diehard fans who were eager to hear more from the undefeated pound-for-pound champion to members of the media who had their own series of questions, the email has not stopped pouring in since the first video went up. Although I don't have all the answers, I do have some, so check out what I had to say to inquiring minds who want to know all about Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and much more.


The Timeline was perfect definitely very helpful to the boxing fans out there. you're doing a great job. In my opinion if pacquiao wants to be considered the best pound for pound and he feels insulted that team mayweather seems to accuse him of taking peds then he should take the random test. That's the best way to prove them wrong. Anyways thanks again for the timeline. - patrick

BT: Patrick, that sure does sound simple, doesn't it? Just take the tests, whip his ass and ride off into the sunset! Call me crazy, but if someone insulted me, I'd love to have the opportunity to legally open up a can of whoopass on them. And on top of that, to get paid $50+ million to do it...priceless! At this point, even if Pacquiao were to win his lawsuit, I really don't think that will change the opinion of those people who actually do question his performances.

Sup Ben, I'm glad that I discovered your site. It's the clearly the best in boxing imho. The question/statement I wanted to pose for your next Mayweather Mail series is that I don't really understand the criticism of Mayweather and his opponents, it's my belief that it comes from people who don't have a clue about the sport but what I wanted to ask was this: If it was Mayweather that fought Manny's leftovers(ODH, Hatton, Mosley) and his very own in-house promoted fighters(Cotto, Margs, Clottey).......would you agree that people(media, critics) would go ape-shit over this yet Manny is given a pass time & time again. I just don't get it brah. Manny is the p4p #1 yet he's fought 3 guys AFTER Mayweather did(some at catchweights) and his own in-house promoted fighters all of which have severe flaws yet he's the greatest thing since sliced bread?? imho it has much to do with race than anything, Dan "know nothing" Rafael of Espn can't even write a positive article about Mayweather without bringing up the negative aspects of his life and it really just sickens me. Thanks for your time, Charles

BT: Charles, I agree. If the roles were reversed, Mayweather would still be heavily criticized. I don't necessarily think it has anything to do with race though. I think it has more to do with the fact that, thus far, Mayweather has never been pushed to the limit or even been in a really difficult fight, therefore, a lot of the media holds him to a much higher standard. In other words, he's looked so good, they can't help but to criticize him. They want to see Mayweather in a difficult fight and they want to see him "challenge" himself, so when he makes a fight look easy, they simply chalk it up to Floyd not "challenging" himself against "tough" opponents. I mean, even if you consider Mayweather's first fight with Castillo to be his toughest challenge, he still wasn't even pushed to the limit that much in that fight. He did what he had to do, but it wasn't the war that people want to see Mayweather in. The fact that he can dominate a fight and force opponents to essentially quit without taking any damage or letting his hands go is a frustrating thing for some people to watch, so they take their frustrations out by criticizing him. In Dan Rafael's case, I think it's just personal. He simply hates the fact that Mayweather doesn't talk to him. In his eyes, that's an insult since, after all, he's "the man" when it comes to boxing at ESPN, therefore, all fighters are supposed to respect his position and answer his phone calls.

After having read your latest post… you're definitely on one side.. I'm even more neutral than you… I love mayweather for the sake of the sport, the technique and skills, makes him definitely one of a kind… But I love Pacquiao as well, for his different style of boxing and his heart… they're both good for boxing specially to the real fans of the sport. BUT THE ISSUE ABOUT YOUR MAYWEATHER IMPLYING MANNY'S ON PEDS IS FOUL… there's no point of testing really… Mayweather should take the deposition first… I admire GBP for accepting their fault and for not being scared to apologize like a real man does… Be a man, show my posts this time. I've nothing but opinions. No dirty language or whatever. - Pocholo

BT: I wouldn't say I'm on one side or the other. Just like you, I enjoy watching both Mayweather and Pacquiao fight. I've said time and time again that I have no problem with Manny Pacquiao or his decision not to agree to Mayweather's request for random drug testing. Pacquiao has every right to say no, just like Cotto and Margarito had every right to say no to his request for a catchweight. I haven't placed any blame on Manny Pacquiao whatsoever. What I am doing, however, is trying to clear up some of the confusion that's been created due to inaccurate information. For example, the fact that you think there's no need for better testing, as if things are just fine and fighters aren't getting away with anything, makes me wonder just how much boxing you actually do follow. I've already mentioned two examples of fighters in defferent sports (Fernando Vargas in boxing and Thiago Silva in MMA) who were caught cheating only AFTER the fight was already over, but I can give you quite a number of other examples. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Ali Funeka, Ricardo Mayorga, and Joan Guzman ALL tested positive for using a diuretic AFTER their fights were over. Omar Nino tested positive for methamphetamine AFTER his draw with Brian Viloria. Mike Tyson tested positive for marijuana AFTER his win over Golota. Pernell Whitaker tested positive for cocaine AFTER beating Andrei Pestraiev. Vitali Klitschko has admitted to his own steroid use in the past. Even guys like Ricky Hatton, Joe Calzaghe, and Sugar Ray Leonard, although they never tested positive for anything, they've all been linked to cocaine use while they were still active fighters. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that any of those guys ever gained a significant advantage over their opponents due to their usage, however, the fact remains that most fighters aren't getting caught until AFTER the fights are over and AFTER the damage has already been done, so it's clear to me that the current system of testing is flawed and something should be done in order to fix it. Now, is Mayweather's request for his opponents to take random drug tests going to bring about sweeping changes in the immediate future? Probably not, but at least it's shedding some light on the subject and getting the discussions started. As for Mayweather supposedly implying that Pacquiao is on PEDs, personally, I think that's irrelevant. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and honestly, I've heard quite a few other people not named Mayweather who made far more direct accusations regarding Manny (Paulie Malignaggi comes to mind). In fact, this isn't even the first time that a fighter has been suspicious of another fighter. Mike Tyson accused Evander Holyfield of taking steroids. Likewise, Holyfield said the same of Tyson. Riddick Bowe also accused Andrew Golota of taking steroids. Even Vernon Forrest accused Ricardo Mayorga of being on something. The list goes on, but the point is, whether there's evidence or not, people are entitled to their opinions. There's no evidence that David Haye or Tomasz Adamek have ever used performance-enhancing drugs, but guess what? I know a lot of people who think they both have at some point. If Mayweather has that opinion of his opponents, then he has every right to ask them to take additional drug tests. There's no law that says you can't have an opinion.

Big Ben, Whats good wit you? Lliking the website and videos, good to see you a Mayweather fan -- as am I. Been a Mayweather fan since his pro debut, looking forward
to his next fight. Do you think Mayweather would be handing out tickets to his next fight? If so do you think you can send me a couple? Never had the pleasure of
experiencing a boxing event in person, would like to experience atleast once in life. Again, loving the website tell the team keep up the good work. God Bless, Q

BT: What's up, Q? I know Floyd definitely plans on running a contest or two prior to his fight with Ortiz. Recently, during a broadcast on his UStream channel, http://www.ustream.tv/floydmayweather, he announced that he would be giving away 2 tickets, airfare, and hotel stay to some lucky winner who was also a member over at ThisIs50.com. No details were given about the contest at the time, but he's definitely got something planned.

Hi Ben, enjoy reading your articles on Fighthype. You seem to have the most in depth knowledge around the Mayweather/Pac debacle so I wanted to get your thoughts on a previous scenario? For years Oscar the Golden Boy was the lottery ticket in boxing, he was the one fight that took Floyd to the level he is at now. Floyd earned the right to fight him and cash in and we all know that Oscar desperately wanted a rematch and even took a tune up with Forbes. Why would Floyd not punch the ticket twice? That is the most money in the game and he passed? Was it because first fight was too close for comfort? or the only other option was to face winner of undefeated Cotto/Margarito at the time? He retired and never pursued the one fight that would make more than any in a rematch with Oscar? Just wanted your thoughts on that? Thanks! - Ronnie

BT: Ronnie, I don't think it had anything to do with the first fight being "too close for comfort." In fact, I know it didn't have anything to do with that. Despite what the scorecards may have read, Floyd wasn't having any problems whatsoever with De La Hoya. He was actually having fun in there and, in my opinion, won the fight pretty easily (I have no clue what fight Tom Kaczmarek was watching, but I had it 116-112 for Mayweather). Just like when fans questioned his first performance against Castillo, Floyd was more than willing to do a rematch with De La Hoya. Truth be told, I think he walked away from it out of principle more than anything. It's pretty clear that Floyd Mayweather has always wanted the proper recognition for his talents, both inside and outside of the ring, that he feels he deserves. Whether people agree or disagree, as far as Floyd is concerned, he was the primary reason why his fight with De La Hoya shattered pay-per-view records. Don't get me wrong, I know Oscar De La Hoya has always been the draw when it comes to major pay-per-view events, however, what made that fight so big was the fact that the undefeated "brash and cocky" Floyd Mayweather was moving up in weight to challenge the beloved Golden Boy. The storyline had absolutely nothing to do with De La Hoya defending his jr. middleweight title. Instead, it was all about the fact that De La Hoya would be attempting to do something that has never been done before...hand Floyd Mayweather his first defeat. Not to mention, it was the first time that HBO introduced their award-winning 4-part series "24/7", an idea that Floyd Mayweather had a lot to do with as far as the buildup of the fight is concerned. So again, as far as Mayweather was concerned, he had a lot to do with the success of that event. As the two sides were negotiating the rematch, De La Hoya still demanded the bigger share of the purse, which was an insult to Mayweather, who obviously won the first fight and felt as though he was largely responsible for its success. Now, I'm just speculating, but my guess is that Mayweather walked away from the fight and "retired" in order to prove a point; essentially that he was the new king of pay-per-view and he should be compensated accordingly, otherwise, the pay-per-view market for HBO Sports would suffer without him. That being said, I also think he wanted to take a much needed break from the sport in order to recharge the batteries, but ultimately, I think it was more about feeling disrespected with the offer and wanting to make a statement. Whether or not he proved his point is debateable, especially since Manny Pacquiao was able to fill the void in his absence, however, ever since Floyd came back, HBO sure does appear to cater to him a lot more than any other fighter they work with, including Pacquiao (otherwise, you would have never seen Pacquiao fighting on Showtime).

You are obviously a mayweather fan but I still enjoyed reading it. It makes me laugh loud. Your stories are one side making it loose it's credibility but then again it's all business. Good or bad writing as long as people are reading, it will pay the bill. Thanks for entertaining us. Cheers. - Denver

BT: I'm a fan of all fighters. Just because I answer questions from fans about Floyd Mayweather, that doesn't mean that I don't like Manny Pacquiao. In fact, I've never said one bad thing about Manny Pacquiao and have always written positive articles about his performances. The point is, answering questions about Floyd Mayweather has nothing to do with my credibility. In my opinion, I think it makes me a little more credible because instead of writing opinionated articles about rumors, I actually contact him to get the truth. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, there were a whole lot of writers out there with stories about Leonard Ellerbe and Mayweather parting ways, but as I'm sure you now know, that wasn't true at all. That's why you never saw a story about it on FightHype. Instead of piggybacking off of some story that was totally inaccurate, like a lot of writers do, I simply got the true story from Floyd himself. I don't know how that makes me less credible than all of those other writers who got the story wrong. I guess the mere fact that I even speak to Mayweather makes me guilty by association, therefore I must be biased and not credible, right? LOL.

I just want to thank you for your indepth look inside Mayweathers life. The After Dark series was literally what Mayweather needed to do and it was great work by you. It seems the media no let me rephrase that the media always puts him down. I read articles by a certain journalist who covers boxing over at ESPN and all they do is talk the negative bout Mayweather. (except for when Mayweather paid for Genero's funeral he did give him credit) Anyways its good to hear from the horses mouth bout the situation with all the drama between Mayweather and Pacaquio. Im glad Mayweather got his side out. Now to my question with all this about drug testing (which I totally agree with it should be done because I think something doesnt smell right) my suggestion is for Mayweather instead of doing blood testing swap it out with hair testing its less intrusive and it could go back months to find out what a person was using. Keep up the good work please put out the 2nd round of negotiations out on your website. The 1st round timeline was great and very informative. Thanks for your time. - Adam

BT: Thanks for the kudos, Adam. People in the media are only human, and sometimes, certain individuals, like the one you mentioned at ESPN, let their personal feelings get in the way while they express their thoughts through writing. The majority of the people who write articles, however, are individuals who don't even speak to anyone in the industry. They're simply people who have started a blog or joined a "pay-per-click" website to express their opinions in hopes of becoming famous themselves, therefore, what better way to gain popularity than to write about all the negative headlines pertaining to Mayweather and the positive headlines pertaining to Pacquiao. It's basically a case of "monkey see, monkey do." Go figure. As for your suggestion regarding drug testing, I could be wrong, but I don't think hair samples are sufficient enough to test for all of the different performance-enhancing drugs. Obviously I'm no expert, so double check with Google, but I'm pretty sure there are some PEDs out there that can only be discovered using blood samples.

Hi Ben, Floyd has never asked anyone to take drug tests of anyone until his proposed match to Manny. Doesn't that say that he 1)suspects Manny of using; 2) does not believe he can win based on Manny's current performance because otherwise, he would not ask for a drug test; 3) Is most likely using this as a recourse because he knows of Manny's reluctance to take any type of blood tests close to a bout? I say this because if I were a confident fighter, I wouldn't have asked this of the opponent unless I have reservations about winning the fight. The fact he did this only starting with Manny says a lot. What do you think? Thanks! - Benjamin

BT: I don't think it really matters why Floyd asked for the drug tests. Whether he asked for them because he's suspicious of Pacquiao's performances or because he woke up one day and decided he wanted to clean up the sport, the fact remains, in order to make the fight a reality, he wants them done, period! I don't think he requested the tests in hopes of getting out of the fight. If that were the case, he would have never offered the 14-day cut-off when both sides entered into mediation. I can assure you that Floyd is extremely confident that he can beat Pacquiao, however, I do think that says a lot about Pacquiao's performances. Obviously, Pacquiao has looked so good that some people seem to think that he's using performance-enhancing drugs. Personally, I think that's a compliment, so if anyone should have the mental advantage, I would think it would be Pacquiao. I mean, if I was kicking ass the way he's been doing and someone asked me to take some tests, I'd look at that as fear, so I probably would have agreed immediately to take the tests, just to put a little more doubt into the mind of my opponent. Evidently, at the time that the request was made, Pacquiao's fear of giving blood too close to a fight far outweighed the opportunity to potentially have a phsychological edge over Mayweather. Go figure. But as far as Floyd having reservations about winning, I know that's not the case at all.

hey gayweather follower! why do you always have comments disabled when you have your anti-Pacquiao particle? lol... you're afraid to shit your pants reading all the moronic comments for you huh? that's becoz ur a moron. and how much did mayweather pay you to lick his balls? hahaha.... - Alfie

BT: Hahahahaha. That's simple, Alfie. Comments are disabled on most Mayweather and/or Pacquiao related articles and interviews because, for some reason, they seem to bring out some of the nastiest and most idiotic racist comments I've ever come across. Just take a look back at any one of our old Mayweather Sr. interviews (like this one, http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content5703.html) and you can find more than 20 pages worth of comments like, and I quote, "bem thompson still kissing nigger mayweather ass", "Fuck that Nigger! Stupid niggers always say uneducated things", "i dont know why some of the writers taking time to interview that black ass gorilla sr.", "Black assholes. First the nigger asks for tests, then wants to rob everyone of their money", BLACK PEOPLE always blame others but themselves. Its a BLACK THING", and "monkey Mayweathers should go back to Africa". We currently don't have the staff to moderate the comments on a daily basis, therefore, in order to minimize the problem, comments are disabled on anything that may cause that kind of response. Now, that doesn't mean you can't express your opinion. You're more than welcome to join the FightHype Community, http://www.fighthype.com/community, and express your opinions there, where we actually do have a team of moderators who stay on top of all racists comments like that.

Source: fighthype.com